Loose leaf binder



Nov. 1, 1932. J. L. M MiLLAN LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Sept. 23. 1929HTTDRIYEYS Patented Nov. 1, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN L.MCMILLAN, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO M PANY, or SYRACUSE, NEWQEK, A C O AT 0 pMILLAN BOOK M- NEW YORK LOOSE LEAF BINDER Applicationfiled September 23, 1929. Serial No. 394,529.

This invention relates to a new and improved loose leaf binder.

My invention is particularly well adapted for use with that type ofloose leaf binder in which the opposed sets of prongs or rings arecarried on opposed housings which are hingedly connected together sothat the opposite sets of prongs may be moved towards and from eachother to permit the shifting or changing of the loose leaves carried inthe binder.

In this type of binders, covers are provided and thes covers arehingedly connected to the housings so that the book may be opened andclosed irrespective of whether or not the housings are moved about theirhinge.

In all of the binders of this type known to the art, it has beennecessary to grasp the housings themselves when it is desired to movethem about their hinge for the purpose of moving the opposed sets ofprongs towards or from each other.

With a book of any considerable size, it is diflicult to manipulate thehousings by grasping the housings themselves particularly when it isdesired to move the prongs from the open to the closed position.

The main object of my invention is to provide a loose leaf binder of thetype described which is so constructed that the prongs may be returnedfrom the open to the closed position by the simple expedient of closingthe covers without the necessity of grasping the housings themselves.

Other objects and advantages relate tothe size, shape and relation ofparts all as will more fully appear from the following description takenin connection with the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is an endelevation of my improved binder with the prongs in the open position.

Figure ,2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 3 with parts broken away toshow detailed structure. 7 v

Figure 3 a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Although my invention is adapted to be used with various types ofbinders which have rear housings hingedly connected together I have, forthe purpose of explaining my invention, here shown a type of bindercomprising a rear housing 1 and an opposed rear housing 2 approximatelyrectangular in crosssection and having their inner longitudinal loweredges connected by a piano hingeB.

On the upper outer longitudinal edge oi housing 1 I provide a cover 4connected to housing 1 by a piano hinge 5. I also pro? vide on the upperouter longitudinal edge of housing 2 a cover 6 connected to housing 2 bya piano hinge 7.

Although I have here shown on housing 1 a single prong 8, it will beunderstood that a plurality of such prongs 8 are provided on housing 1in spaced relation.

I also provide on housing 2 a plurality of prongs 9 in spaced relationand in staggered relation to prongs 8 although I have here shown onlyone of such prongs 9.

The top and inner side of housing l is formed from a metal strip 10, thelower end of which carries ears forming part of piano hinge 3. The upperand outer end 11 of strip 10 extends vertically and outwardly beyond theouter ends of prongs 8, end 11 being'pro-v vided with apertures throughwhich prongs 8 extend. These prongs 8 and 9 comprise separate sets atopposite sides of the binder and extend downwardly through openings inthe respective strips 10' and 13 and suitable sleeves 25 aflixed to theinner face of the outside longitudinal side of corresponding housings 1and 2. The lower ends of prongs: 9 extend inwardly towards the innerside of the housing 2 and'have their inner ends welded or otherwisesecured to the bottom wall of the housing 2 to maintain said prongs infixed relation. The lower ends of prongs 8 extend inwardly toward theinner side of the housing 1 and have their inner ends bent upwardly andextending through suitable apertures in a slidable bar 26 movablelongitudinally of the binder for swinging each prong 8 to causesimultaneous longitudinal movement of the upper ends of the prongs ofthis set relative .to the prongs of the other set;

The outer edge of the portion 11 is disposed in a horizontal planeslightly above the plane in which the piano hinge 5 is disposed andapproximately in the same vertical plane.

Referring to Figure 2, it will be seen that with this arrangement ofparts, cover 4 may be moved downwardly without interference but it canbe moved upwardly about the hinge 5 only to the point where the hingemember 12 carried by it, contacts with the portion 11 and it then cannotbe moved any further in that direction.

A similar arrangement of parts is provided for housing 2 in which thestrip 13.

forming the top and inner side of housing 2 carries on its lower edgeears for hinge 3 and has an upwardly and outwardly extending portion 14through which prongs 9 6X- tend and which'has its upper edge disposed ina horizontal plane slightly above piano hinge 7 and in approximately thesame vertical plane.

Cover 6, with this arrangement of parts, may be moved downwardly withoutinterruption but it may be moved upwardly above hinge 7 only to thepoint where the hinge member 15 carried by it, contacts with the portion14.

Although not essential, I prefer to provide in housing 1, a plurality,although only one is here shown, of braces 16 to insure that the strip10 will be at all times held rigidly in position.

I also prefer to provide in housing 2, similar braces 17 for the purposeof securing strip 13 rigidly in position.

-Braces 16 are secured to the bottom of housing 1 as by welding and aresecured to strip 10 as by screws 18.

Braces 17 are secured to the bottom of housing 2 as by Welding and tostrip 13 as by screws 19.

For the purpose of holding housings 1 and 2 in any desired relativeposition, I provide a latch 20.

WVhen the binder is in the open position, as shown in Figure 1, thecovers 4 and 6 will normally be in the position in which they are shownby dotted lines. When it is then desired to close the binder, covers 4and 6 will be raised about their hinges 5 and 7 to the point where thehinge member 12 on cover 4 will contact with the portion 11 and thehinge member 15 on cover 6 will contact with the portion 14. The coverswill then be in the position shown in heavy, lines on Figure 1. If thecovers 4 and 6 are then moved upwardly, cover 4 will carry with ithousing 1 and cover 6 will carry with it housing 2 to cause housings 1and 2 to be moved about theirhinge 3 towards each other and into theclosed position.

I have just described the closing operation as being accomplished by theupward movement of both covers 4 and 6, but it will be apparent'thatsuch closing movement may be accomplished by the upward movement of onlya single cover as, for example, cover 4 inasmuch as housing 2 will beheld against movement due to the fact that portion 14 will come intocontact with hinge member 15 on cover 6 and cover 6 will be held againstmovement due to the fact that it is in position on the desk or othersupport on which the binder rests.

The great advantage of my invention resides in the fact that it is muchsimpler, easier and quicker to close a book of this type by themanipulation of the covers themselves than it is to manipulate the rearhousings and then when they have been closed manipulate the coversthemselves. That is to say, the closing of the book is accomplished inone operation as against the two which are necessary with any otherbinders of this type known to the art.

It will be understood that my invention is adapted to be used with anytype of binder which has hinged rear housings and it will also beunderstood that the size, shape and relative position of the stopportions 11 and 14 may be varied as desired provided only that they areso positioned as to limit the movement of covers 4 and 6 about theirhinges 5 and 7 It will also be understood that although I have heredescribed portions 11 and 14 as extending the length of housings 1 and2, yet the same result may be accomplished by providing spaced stops ofvarying number, for although I have shown and described a specificstructure and form of part as an exemplification of an embodiment of myinvention, I do not desire to restrict myself to the exact size, shapeor relationof parts as various changes may be made within the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a loose leaf binder, opposed housings hingedly connected together,a plurality of prongs carried on each housing, a cover hinged to theouter longitudinal edge of each housing, each of said housings includinga plate having a longitudinally extending fiat portion and an upwardlyand outwardly extending edge portion, said edge portion having aperturesto permit the passage therethrough of the prongs carried'on the housing,and said edge portion extending outwardly into approximately the planeof the outer side of the housing and above the hinge of the covercarriedon the housing.

2. In a loose leaf binder, opposed housings hingedly connected together,a plurality of prongs carried on each housing, a cover hinged to theouter longitudinal edge of each housing, each of said housings includingan upwardly and outwardly extending plate, the upper edge portion ofsaid plate having apertures to permit the passage'therethrough of theprongs carried on the housing and said JOHN L. MCMILLAN.

